I am writing in response to the letter written by Randy Ridgel on April 8. Mr. Ridgel”s pomposity astounds me. Many so-called “facts” in his letter represent a one-sided truth. First of all, global warming is not a man-made phenomena. The Earth goes through natural heating and cooling periods. However, as man-made machines release excess greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere we speed up the process. The increasing rate of warming has detrimental effects on life on Earth. There can be no price set on our planet, and by extension our existence.
Second of all, he was wrong to mention Abraham Lincoln in his article as a Republican. In 1861 when he was elected, an opposing Democratic party was not in existence. Lincoln was a member of the Democratic-Republican party. When this election occurred Lincoln”s opponent was a member of the Whig party. This so-called Republican “miracle” did not happen.
Lastly, how dare you compare the United States to the dictatorship of the Soviet Union. Opponents of the communist government were often killed or sent to live in concentration camps. Citizens had very few of the same freedoms we possess as American citizens. If you wrote the letter in communist Russia you would be killed or intimidated using violence.
And your use of racist words such as “blacks” and “brown-skinned” is offensive. Every person, no matter what skin color, is an American, free to make their own choices. And just because President Barack Obama is of African American descent does not mean African Americans voted for him for that reason. Just because they made a choice that may have differed from yours does not mean that they voted for a candidate based on race. Some of your “facts” in your letter are bogus. I suggest you research before writing another one-sided letter.
Garrett Schofield
Upper Lake
